Engineering Commons^™

High Voltage Power Supply Design For Photo Multiplier Tube, Anand Antony, Nikunj Agrawal

Small Satellite Conference

CubeSats are playing a vital role in the development of new compact technologies for small satellites and because of their promising potential, the CubeSats have been widely embraced by universities for conducting space research projects. IITMSAT is a student driven Nano-satellite embraced by IIT Madras leading to the development of Space-based Proton-Electron Energy Detector (SPEED). It is a payload that is being developed to be launched on-board IITMSAT. The scientific objective of the payload is to gather data on the variations in the charge particle flux below the inner Van Allen radiation belts. SPEED is designed to obtain energy spectra …

Iov Mission Of A Mini-Hall Effect Thruster (Het), On-Board S-50 Micro-Satellite Class Platform, V. Stanzione, N. Melega, T. Misuri

Small Satellite Conference

SITAEL HT-100 Hall Effect Thruster (mini-HET) is one of the smallest and lowest power HET ever developed in Europe, whose performance and characteristics represent the state-of-the-art of this technology (power range between 140 and 300W, covering thrust levels from 5 to 15 mN). For HT-100 IOV purpose, SITAEL proposes to embark it (with relevant propulsion S/S built around) on its micro-platform (namely S-50, already used in the frame of ESA ESEO Project), which is a low cost/rapid development/qualified platform, ideal for IOD/IOV missions. A specific in-orbit validation mini-HET operative profile has been identified and acts as a main driver for …

Multi-Point Measurements Of The Aurora With A Cubesat Swarm, J. Brent Parham, Aleks Zosuls, Brian Walsh, Joshua Semeter

Small Satellite Conference

Space weather research is data-starved and small satellites offer an opportunity to the community. Over the past few years, Boston University’s Center for Space Physics has been developing a 6U CubeSat that deploys a small swarm of magnetometers to measure the fine-scale structure of the Birkeland currents that create the Aurora. By using direct three-axis measurements, spatially distributed, we hope to probe the plasma currents and fuse the data with other data products from ground-based optical and radio measurements. Boston University’s broad expertise in space physics and engineering systems offers a strong platform to foster a close relationship between those …

Cubesat Handling Of Multisystem Precision Time Transfer, Nathan Barnwell, Watson Attai, Lucas Bassett-Audain, Maria Carrasquilla, John Chavez, Jon Dewald, Olivia Formoso, John Hanson, Belgacem Jaroux, Asia Nelson, Tyler Noel, Anh N. Nguyen, Seth Nydam, Ken Oyadomari, Jessie Pease, Cedric Priscal, Tyler Ritz, Steven Roberts, Paul Serra, Jan Stupl, Evan Waxman, Jasper Wolfe, John W. Conkin

Small Satellite Conference

No abstract provided.

Constellation Design Considerations For Smallsats, Andrew E. Turner

Small Satellite Conference

Design, implementation and operation of constellations using Smallsats are discussed. Due to the modest budgets allocated for these small spacecraft, economic considerations are paramount and optimal results must be obtained with a minimum number of spacecraft. Favorable orbits, preferably low Earth orbits (LEO) with minimum inclination, reduce launch cost and optimize Earth observation and communications, however mission requirements and/or rideshare opportunities may involve higher altitude and/or inclination. Candidate orbits including circular LEO with equatorial near-zero inclination, moderate inclination, polar and sun-synchronous inclinations are considered. The focus is on 600 km altitude since this lies within the regime currently used by …

Silicon Carbide Optical Telescopes In "Small Satellite" Constellations, Flemming Tinker, Chip Ragan, Alberto Bodden, Kevin Dahlberg

Small Satellite Conference

Optical telescopes are used in small satellites for imaging and laser applications serving markets such as earth resources, marine monitoring, communications and weather forecasting. Aluminum and glass are traditional materials used in telescope optical components but have mass and/or thermal properties that impact launch cost and on-station optical performance.

In constellation applications where a telescope is the primary payload, both the telescope and any required thermal mitigation mass becomes a large cost consideration due to its multiplication by the number of satellites launched and launch cost per kg. The use of alternate telescope materials that reduce mass and/or thermal sensitivity …

The Time For Scots Has Come, Johan Leijtens, Johan Uittenhout, Alexander Los, Torsten Vogel

Small Satellite Conference

With all major European primes starting to work on programs >100 satellites in 2015 the time for Space grade Commercial Off The Shelf components has come. For many years there have been discussions on costs savings by offering COTS components and especially the cubesat community knows several vendors that offer space systems in a COTS fashion. None of these component however qualify for the extreme requirements posed by the current constellations under design as most of them have to operate above 1000 km and are preferred to have a 10 to 15 year lifetime. This leads to several megarads of …

Design Of Cubesat Solar Panels Considering Acoustic Pressure, Devin Bunce, Erik Kroeker, Alex Ghosh, Victoria Coverstone

Small Satellite Conference

CubeSats are becoming increasingly complex. New innovative technology allows for more powerful computational capabilities and more complex science instruments. With strict mass requirements CubeSats need to cut weight from structural material as much as possible while maintaining mission integrity to maximize mass to electronics and instrumentation. Once in space the system is not under much stress and does not require much structural integrity; however, during launch the rocket produces a tremendous amount of sound, averaging around 160 dB in the local area. This acoustic pressure can crack solar cells if the array wall deflects too much.

The University of Illinois …

Magnetic Substance Disturbance Torque Caused By Shape Magnetic Anisotropy And Its Applications In Small-Sized Satellites, Takaya Inamori, Nobutada Sako, Ryu Funase, Shinichi Nakasuka

Small Satellite Conference

This study presents the magnetic substance disturbance torque caused by shape magnetic anisotropy. This magnetic substance disturbance occurs in on-board unsymmetrical magnetic substances, even if the magnetic substance does not have a residual magnetic dipole moment. Although this magnetic substance disturbance torques has not been considered in previous small-sized satellites, in some cases, the strength of the disturbance is stronger than the effect of aerodynamic and solar radiation disturbances. First, this study presents the strength and effects of the magnetic substance disturbance torque in Cubesat satellites: XI-IV and PRISM in the University of Tokyo. Then, the study shows that the …

Nitesat: A People-Powered Science Mission, Ken Walczak

Small Satellite Conference

The Far Horizons space program at the Adler Planetarium is designing, building, and will operate NITESat (Night Imaging and Tracking Experiment Satellite), a 2U CubeSat mission supported by a robust education and public outreach effort. The primary science mission of NITESat is to capture high-resolution, three-color, nighttime imagery of the Midwestern United States to quantify and characterize the nature and intensity of light pollution across the region. The motto of the Adler Planetarium is “Join Us In Exploring Space,” and the NITESat mission firmly embraces this concept with students, interns, and volunteers embedded in every stage of the design, build …

The Role Of Emulation In Constellations Of Small Satellites, Randy Culver

Small Satellite Conference

Small satellites have become mainstream. New ventures are deploying constellations of small satellites that are being networked to perform remote sensing, image collection, and internet routing. This paper describes how a scalable, system-level emulation plays a key role when fielding and flying a new constellation of small satellites.

It's an understatement to say that designing, implementing, and validating a system employing a dozen, a hundred, or a thousand satellites is complex. There's inherent risk "scaling up" the number of deployed small satellites from few to many. Engineering analysis and testing cannot be deferred until there's a full constellation in orbit. …

Enhancing Cubesat And Small Satellite Reliability Through Improved Thermal Management, Steven Isaacs, Diego Arias, Mike Hulse, Mark Lake, Derek Hengeveld

Small Satellite Conference

The interest in the use of CubeSat and small satellites for commercial, government and military applications continues to grow. Particularly in Low Earth Orbit, the successful deployment of commercial electronics has allowed dramatic reductions in cost and dramatic improvements in performance. These benefits leverage the R&D and production infrastructure of terrestrial electronics companies that dwarf the traditional space supply base. However, questions remain on the specific levels of reliability that can be achieved using hardware that was designed and tested for use in a very different environment compared to traditional space components that are designed for and tested to environmental …

Energy-Cognizant Scheduling Of Store-And-Forward Communications With Multiple Priority Levels In Nanosatellite Systems, Cherry Y. Wakayama, Peter J. Yoo, Zelda B. Zabinsky

Small Satellite Conference

We derive an autonomous scheduling system for low earth orbiting store-and-forward communications nanosatellites (nanosats). Nanosats receive messages of different sizes and priorities, and the nanosat scheduling system determines when to deliver complete or partial messages to associated destinations. The optimal schedule considers nanosat limitations in terms of size, power, onboard data storage, energy capacity and contact time windows. In this paper, we first formulate a binary linear program to optimize a single-satellite resource-constrained message delivery schedule. Since a large-scale binary integer program is computationally intensive, we develop an approximation algorithm based on a time-indexed formulation and mean busy time objective …

Project: Lunasonde, Jeremiah Pate

Small Satellite Conference

LunaSonde is a 6U CubeSat mission with the objective of exploring the moon while testing several new technologies. It is also a potential contender for the NASA CubeQuest Challenge. Although low earth orbit has been revolutionized by nanosatellite design, deep space/ lunar exploration have varied little from multimillion dollar missions. In order to expand the scope of planetary exploration, we have designed an adaptable lunar nanosatellite which leverages several new technologies such as 3-D printed construction, photonic integrated chips, and a miniaturized optical communication package. LunaSonde will analyze the lunar surface with a thermal and multispectral imager, demonstrating planetary exploration …

Ors Responsive Manufacturing 6u Spacecraft, Jillian Marsh, Eric Stroka, George Moretti, Quinn Young, Jim Perry, Dean Wada, Matt Jeppesen, Matt Felt, Bryan Hansen

Small Satellite Conference

The Operationally Responsive Space Office is developing a small satellite capability and small satellite design specifically for advanced manufacturing and assembly methods for a semi-automated assembly and test facility. Designing a small satellite to be assembled and tested with this novel and innovative approach enables reduced costs, schedule, and risk. This presentation will discuss the implementation, unique design features, lessons learned, and challenges associated with developing for this new rapid-assembly capability as well as the unique benefits and challenges of assembly and test using automated, robotic systems. The presentation will also include discussions of the role that design-for-manufacturing, modular open …

Cubesat Model-Based Systems Engineering (Mbse) Reference Model –Model Distribution And Application –Interim Status #2, David Kaslow, Bradley Ayres, Michael Chonoles, Samuel Gasster, Laura Hart, Chris Massa, Rose Yntema

Small Satellite Conference

Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is a key practice to advance systems engineering that can benefit CubeSat missions. MBSE creates a system model that helps integrate other discipline specific engineering models and simulations.

The International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) established the MBSE Initiative to promote, advance, and institutionalize the practice of MBSE. The INCOSE Space Systems Working Group Challenge team has been investigating the applicability of MBSE for designing CubeSats since 2011.

Our application of MBSE uses System Modeling Language (SysML), a graphical modeling language, to model all aspects of a system either directly or through an interface with …

Introduction To Nasa's Academy Of Aerospace Quality, Alice Smith, Jeffrey Smith

Small Satellite Conference

The NASA Academy of Aerospace Quality (AAQ) is an internet-based public domain forum of quality assurance-related educational modules for students and faculty at academic institutions targeting those involved in aerospace research, technology development, and payload design and development including Cube Sats, Small Sats, Nano Sats, Rockets and High Altitude Balloons. The target users are university project and research teams but the academy has also been used by K-12 teams, independent space activists, NASA contractors and other governmental agencies including those abroad. The interactive - web portal contains a curriculum structure of 50 diverse technical topics such as workmanship, systems engineering, …

Large Square-Loop Antenna Deployment From Cubesats, Angela Cleri, Ralen Toledo, Austin Fruithandler, Brandon Goudy, Jacob Mingear, Norman Fitz-Coy

Small Satellite Conference

The small-scale nature of CubeSats presents a challenge for researchers looking to integrate large antennas that are suited for experiments using very low frequencies (VLF, 3-30 kHz). Loop antennas hold several advantages over monopole and dipole voltage probes because they are not subject to the same size restrictions. Monopoles and dipoles have to be larger to achieve the same gain and performance as loop antennas. Conversely, loop antennas hold a disadvantage in that they require stiffeners to maintain the loop structure which poses challenges in both stowage and deployment. To address these challenges, the University of Florida has been developing …

Lean Satellite Concept, Filippo Graziani, Mengu Cho

Small Satellite Conference

In 2014, International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) initiated Study Group (SG) 4.18, "Definition and Requirements of Small Satellites Seeking Low-Cost and Fast-Delivery". Its objectives of the study group are to examine the definitions of small satellites, identify the requirements every satellite should follow and then reflect some of the findings to an ISO standard draft ISO/WD/20991, "Space systems - Requirements for Small Spacecraft" that is being developed recently at ISO/TC20/SC14. The purpose of the present paper is to present the latest findings in the SG activity especially in terms of small satellite definition.

During the SG meeting in 2014, a …

Robust, Radiation Tolerant Command And Data Handling And Power System Electronics From Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center, Hanson Nguyen, James Fraction, Melyane Ortiz-Acosta, George Dakermanji, Bradford P. Kercheval, Amri Hernandez-Pellerano, Leonine S. Lee, David S. Kim, David S. Jung, Steven E. Meyer, Udayan Mallik, Kurt D. Rush, Faramarz Farid, James C. Olsen, Pietro A. Sparacino

Small Satellite Conference

In today's rapidly advancing technology roadmap for space applications there is an emphasis on completing missions faster and cheaper than previous large-scale missions at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) such as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) or the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. As part of this effort, focus has shifted from using mostly radiation-tolerant or radiation-hardened parts to more commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components for missions that can last at least one year in orbit. However, there are some portions of a spacecraft's avionics, such as the command and data handling (C&DH) system and the Electrical Power Systems (EPS) that …

Design And Development Of A Multi-Mode Monopropellant Electrospray Mircropropulsion System, Steven P. Berg, Joshua L. Rovey

Small Satellite Conference

Multi-mode spacecraft propulsion is the use of two or more types of propulsive devices on a spacecraft that share some commonality in terms of either hardware or propellant. An example is the Mars Global Surveyor, which made use of hydrazine as both a monopropellant for attitude control and a bipropellant for primary maneuvering. Specific to this study is a multi-mode propulsion system making use of a high-thrust chemical mode and a high-specific impulse electric mode. Using these two modes can be beneficial in two primary ways. One way is by designing a mission such that the high-thrust and high-specific impulse …

Microscope, A Cnes Microsatellite To Check Einstein Equivalence Principle, And Its Rf Equipments, Clement Dudal, Romain Mathieu, Yves André, Marie Vialard, Hervé Guillon, M. Fernandez, Anis Latiri, G. Guillois, Y. Richard, P. Bataille

Small Satellite Conference

No abstract provided.

Iitmsat: Innovative Packet Protocol And Concept Of Operations, Akshay Gulati, Sourbh Bhadane, Joseph Samuel, Harishankar Ramachandran, R. David Koilpillai

Small Satellite Conference

No abstract provided.

Characterizing Chromatic Effects In Small Star Trackers, Tom Dzamba, John Enright, Doug Sinclair

Small Satellite Conference

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Low-Flying Cubesat Mission For F-Region Characterization, Jonathan Black, Gregory Earle, Robert Mcgwier, Anthony Wolosik

Small Satellite Conference

Plasma irregularities in the F-region (200-800 km) of the night-time equatorial ionosphere have been shown to significantly influence the performance and reliability of space borne and ground based radio communication systems. Equatorial Spread-F (ESF) episodes may cause the disruption of satellite operations, communications, and navigation due to backscatter and radar scintillation. Current records of rocket, satellite, and radar data are not of sufficient quantity to allow for accurate models and predictions of the spectrum of irregularities. To provide a better understanding and predict F-region phenomena that may disrupt communications, it is important to perform in situ, or local, real-time measurements …

The Conceptual Design Of Cubesat Based System For Gnss Radio Occultation/Reflective Mission, Jer Ling, Chen-Tsung Lin

Small Satellite Conference

The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio Occultation/Reflective (RO/R) instrument collects global atmospheric data and oceanic wind speed data for weather prediction and climate researches. This paper proposes the conceptual design of the satellite constellation and the satellite to realize the GNSS-RO/R mission based on the cubesat platform, with the goal to achieve cost effectiveness and minimum deployed schedule. The cubesat considered in the study is 6U and within 10 kilogram. The proposed innovative constellation consists of 12 (minimum required) plus 6 (backup) satellites on three 500 km altitude sun synchronous planes, 6 satellites even phasing on each plane. It …

Miniaturized Phonon Trap Timing Units For Pnt Of Cubesats, Mina Rais-Zadeh, Adam Peczalski, Serhat Altunc, Yun Zheng, Obadiah Kegege, Harry Shaw, Greg Heckler

Small Satellite Conference

This research is directed towards development of a chip-scale timing unit (clock) to be used in new systems that aim to improve the quantity and quality of data transmittal from small spacecrafts. The quantity and quality of data transmission are directly influenced by the speed and accuracy of the on-board clock. NASA roadmap identifies major technical challenges for space clocks using current technologies (i.e., quartz resonators), namely sensitivity to on-board thermal environment conditions and susceptibility to g-force, and ionizing radiation effects. The timing units developed under this project will enhance the current Small Satellites capabilities. With this technology Small Sats …

Modular Payload-Centered Cubesat, Saleh Al-Shidhani

Small Satellite Conference

CubeSats gained a lot of popularity recently after many successful missions and due to the availability of pico-components for these satellites. Although miniaturizing the electronic circuits, sensors and attitude control hardware are progressing very well, there are other components that cannot be miniaturized such as imaging lenses while maintaining spacial resolution. As results, bigger CubeSats were introduced. To maintain smaller size we developed a new Cubesat structure that's likely to reduce the size by 50%. The frame structure design offers the demanded rigidity around the payload and surrounded with eight slots for other components. the slots offer direct access to …

High-Grade, Compact Spectrometers For Earth Observation From Smallsats, Len Van Der Wal, Bryan De Goeij, Rik Jansen, Han Oosterling, Bart Snijders

Small Satellite Conference

The market for nano- and microsatellites is developing rapidly. There is a strong focus on 2D imaging of the Earth's surface, with limited possibilities to obtain spectral information. More demanding applications, such as monitoring trace gases and aerosols, or water quality still require advanced spectral imaging instruments, which are large, heavy and expensive.

In recent years TNO has investigated and developed different innovative designs to realize advanced spectrometers for space applications in a more compact and cost-effective manner. This offers multiple advantages: A compact instrument can be flown on a much smaller platform (nano- or microsatellite); a low-cost instrument opens …

Miniaturized Ion And Neutral Mass Spectrometer For Cubesat Atmospheric Measurements, M. Rodriguez, N. Paschalidis, S. Jones, E. Sittler, D, Chornay, P. Uribe

Small Satellite Conference

A presentation about the Mini Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS).